EXTRACT FROM THE HISTORY 



THIRD REGIMENT 



R. I. HEAVY ARTILLERY, 



rUISLlSHED IN THE 



ADJUTANT GENERAL'S REPORT 



MtnXc of photic Islawft, 



(REPRINT OF 1865) 



1893. 



I'RINIED BY TIIK THIRD RHODE ISLAM) VETERAN ASSOCIATION FOR ITS MEMBERS. 



PROVIDENCE: 

E. L. KKEF.MAN & SON, PRINTERS TO THE ST ATK 
I 894. 



i 



i 



I 



EXTRACT IT^OM Tllli HISTORY 



THIRD REGIMENT 



R. I. HEAVY ARTILIJ:RY, 



lTI!I,IMIKli IN IHE 



ADJUTANT GENERAL'S REPORT 



J>tatc of |,^hci(lc Island, 



(REPRINT OP 1865) 



1 cS {) :] . 



rKINllll) 1!V IIIK rillKD KHODK ISLAND VKIKK.AN ASSOCIATH )N KOK ITS MK.M IlKRS. 



I ' l< ( ) \' 1 1 ) K \ C K : 

P^ I.. I'KKI'.MAN \ SON, I'KINIKUS lu IIIK S I A I'K 
1 8 ( j 4 . 



6i50» 

9i^ 









THIRD RECtIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 



Within tho limits pi'osoril)0(l. only tlio inosi snccincl outline can 
be presenterl of the varied and ex|ep(tetl services of this regiment. 
The jieriod of its serviee extended from Anijnst, 18G1, to Septem- 
ber, 18()0, durin<>: which time its several ('.omi)anies were scattered 
over a wide territory and many States ; serving now as infantuy, 
now as heavy artillery, now as light artillery, and at times detach- 
ments from ditferent companies ser\an*g^for longer or shorter 
periods upon armed transports as coast guard or on sjjecial ser- 
vice. The principal field of its activities was in tlie Dei^artment 
of the South, which embraced South Carolina, Georgia and Flor- 
ida, under the command successively of Generals Thomas W. 
Sherman, David Hunter, Ormsby M. Mitchel, C^uincj' A. Gill- 
more and John G. Foster ; against whom commanded in sueces. 
sion Generals Rol)ert E. Lee, John C. Pemberton and G. T. r)eau- 
regard. The brevitj' of this sketch detei-mines its plan, which 
rigidly excludes all personal matters, all matters of detail, as well 
as extended comments upon the events chronicled. It seeks to 
group the widely scattered anil multiform services of the different 
companies of this Regiment under the genei-al movements of the 
army or armies to which they belonged. 

ORGANIZATION. 

.luly 2:|, 1861, Governor Sprague issued (4eiu'ral Order No, 42, 
calling for the organization of a "Thinl Regiment of Infantry," 
and enlistments were commenced at once. August <>th, the order 
was temporaril}' re-called, but i-e-issued in a modified form August 
12th, in (4enei-al Order No. 40, l)y wliich tlie organization of the 
Regiment was entrusted to the following- olVieers : " IJrig. (4en. 



4 THIRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILIjERV. 

Charles T. Robbins, acting as Colonel, Christopher Blanding, 
acting as Lieutenant Colonel, and Peter A. Sinnott, Major, with 
Brigade Major Joseph P. Balch as assistant to General Robbins." 
Drs. Henry W. Rivers and Robert Millar were appointed medical 
examiners. A little later, Asher R. Edd}^ captain in the regular 
army, was invited to take the place of acting Colonel Robbins. 
The al)Ove officers, however, were only temporary, and no one of 
them was ever mustered upon commissions for these positions. 
Land upon the estate of the late Governor, eTohn Brown Francis, 
below Pawtuxet, was selected for the camii, named Camp Ames, 
in honor of the ('liief Justice of the State, Samuel vVmes, and here 
the companies began to assemble in Augnst, and some three 
weeks were spent in mustering, clothing and drilling the nuMi. 

September 7th the Regiment, consisting of nine companies 
under command of acting Lieut.-Col. Blanding, end)arked at 
Providence on the steamer "Commodore"" for Fort Hamilton, on 
Long Island, N. Y., where forces were gathering under the com- 
numd of Gen. Thomas \V. Sherman. Here the Regiment com- 
menced dailj" drill in the manual of field, siege and garrison 
artillery, as well as in infantry tactics. September 14th the Reg- 
iment was suddenlj^ summoned bj' Gen. Scott to Washington, 
where it arrived the next day and encamped in " (lamp Spragne," 
baton the 22d it was at Fort Hamilton again, and assiduously 
drilling from morning until night. Here the tenth company, Co. 
H, was formed, and the permanent organization com])leted, and 
October 9th a large numl)er of officers were mustered, among 
them Nathaniel W. I^rown, Colonel ; Stephen R. Bucklin, Lieu- 
tenant Colonel ; Edwin Metcalf, Major. 

While at Fort Hamilton the Regiment received many tokens of 
esteem from the ladies of Rhode Island : a set of camp colors 
from Mrs. Wm. P. IVlartin ; a beautifnl i-egimental (lag, j)i'esented 
by Major Metcalf in l)ehalf of the ladies of Providence ; and many 
articles of comfort from Mrs. Stephen R. Bnckliii and other ladies 
of Pawtuck<4. Though the ReginuMit was still nominally a reg- 
iment of infantry, yet it was in reality i)i-eparing to do the service 
of a regiment of heavy artillery. Si)ecial Oi-der No. .i.);), dated 
December l!)th, from the Adjutant Generars Office at Washington 
changed the name of the Regiment, officially, to that of the "Thii'd 
Regiment Rhode Island Heavy Artillery," and authorized it to be 
iiu'reased to twelve companies of one hundred and fifty men each. 



THIRD REniMEXT KIIODE ISLANh HK.W V AimiJ.KllV. ti 

Roornitinji: oftices were opened in Providence niider Christopher 
niaiidinu' and Henry T. Sisson, both of whom were soon after ooin- 
niissioiied as the two additional majors in the new organi/.alion. 
Reernits were rapidly sent forward to fill up the companies, and 
in ^Farch, lt^()2, the two new majors arrived witli a lar.uc iiiiiiilx'i'. 
and two additional comi)anies, L and M, were formed. 

EXPEDITION TO PORT ROYAL. 

October 12th the Rejiiment embarked on the steamship " Ca- 
hawba" and proceeded to Fortress Miinroe, where the military 
and naval forces were uathering under Gen. Thomas W. Sherman 
and C'ommodore Samuel V. I)u Pont, preparatory to a descent 
upon the coast of South Carolina. Here the Rejiiment was en- 
cami)ed until the 2od, when it ayain embarked upon the same 
steamei', but was destined to wait anothei- week before the ex- 
pedition was ready to set sail. While in camp at this place, th<» 
Regiment exchaiiiied its uniform of .yray for that of the I'liioii 
r>lin% and comj^anies A and C received Whitney i-ifles with sabre 
bayonets in (^xchanjic for their Entu'ld muskets. Octobei- I'lUli 
the ex))editi()n uot underway, se\'enteen war vessels with Ihiity 
transports and supi)ly vessels, ami on board the " Kxix'dit ionai-y 
("(>ri»s" of (4en. Shei'man. consist inu' of 12,(15;) ollicers and men. 
After a verj' stormy passage and the loss of four vessels, the fleet 
began to assemble again off Port Royal, South C'arolina, Xovein- 
bei- 4th. The Regiment was present at the naval engagement 
November 7th, but did not participate, as planned, in the caplui-e 
of the forts, as the participation of the land forces had t<» be 
abandoned in conse(pience of the loss during t lie voyage of the 
greater poition of the means of disembarkment of troops. Two 
companies, however, ]> and C, were landed on the day of the en- 
gagement, and the renuiinder of the Regiment on the following- 
day. This was the only expedition in which the Regiment sei-ved 
as a unit. Never after this were the ten companies brought to- 
gether in Jiny one combined movement, and even when several 
companies sei-ved in the same canii)aign, they were not all in the 
same command. Soon after landing at Port Royal the comi)anies 
were separated never to meet again as a regiment, not even at 
their final muster out. rom])anies H and (' garrisoned ^^»rt 
AVelles on Hilton Head, companies I) and H Foi-t Sewaid at Uay 



G THIRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTiLLERV- 

Point, Co. I was later sent to Otter Island to garrison Fort Dray- 
ton, and the remainder of the Regiment manned the entrenchment 
which it helped construct on Hilton Head. The headquarters of 
the Regiment under Colonel Brown were at Fort Welles, and 
Lieutenant-Colonel Bucklin assumed command at Bay Point. 

The history and services of the Regiment may be better under- 
stood, if, at this point, there be given a sketch of the field of 
operations and the work to be done, as j'et somewhat undeter- 
mined, but gradually determined later by circumstances. Gen. 
Sherman found in his front, formed and forming, a formidable 
strategic line, its right resting on Fort McAllister on the Ogeechee 
River, sixteen miles south of Savannah, passing through Fort 
Beaulieu on Vernon River, and strong l)atteries on the interven- 
ing islands to Forts Thunderbolt, Bonadventure and Clausten's 
I)luff on St. Augustine CU-eek, to Forts Jackson, Lee, Tatnall and 
Lawton on the Savannah immediately in front of the city, and 
thence on to the left of the line, resting on Charleston Harl)or- 
The advanced jjosts of this line were at Fort Pulaski, New River 
Bridge, Bluffton, Port Royal Ferry, and on the extreme left, 
James and Morris Ishind and Fort Sumter. The extreme right 
of the enemy's line extended across Georgia to Jacksonville on 
the St. John's River in Florida. This line of some two hundred 
miles in length was at the time under the command of no less a 
personage than General Robert E. Lee. This was the principal 
theatre of action of the Third Rhode Island Heavy Artillery, some 
portions of which were activelj^ engaged at every salient i)oint of 
this most stubbornly defended line during the next four years, 
pai'ticipating in every engagement in siege and field, either as 
infantry, or as heavy artillery, or as light artillery, or a part of 
the naval force. 

Immediately on securing the base at Port Royal, the army and 
navy deployed in every direction by land and sea, noiHiward 
toward Cliarleston to St. Helena Sound, and southward to the 
Savannah, and even further south to Florida. During November 
and December, the principal duties of the Regiment were in re- 
pairing and manning the foi'ts, in artillery and infantry drill, yet 
detachments at various times parti(;ii)ated in these preliminary 
exix'dilions, some of which may be here mentioned. NommhImm- 
25th a detachment from Co. A was sent with Lieut. J. H. Wilson, 
of the ITniled States Topograjjliical Kngineers, " to examine the 



THIRD KK(iI.MKNT KliODK ISLAND HKAN V AKTILLKKV. 7 

fon-i<'S from Hilton Iload Island to tlio iiiainlaiul, situated al 
Ferry Point and Spanish Welles." December iMlh two detaeli- 
nients of forty men each, from Co. A, under Lieut. Thomas W. 
Fry, and from Co. E, undei' Capt. James K. liailev, were sent with 
Lieut. Wilson upon a somewhat ]iei-ilous exi>edition, of thr«'e days 
duration, within the lines of the enemy to examine "the land and 
water between the Coo[)er and Savannah Kivers." lieeonnoi.s- 
sanees were made in boats at night-time almost to the whai-\es at 
Savannah. January Sth a detachment from Co. G, undei- Sergt. 
James H. Hudson, was sent with the New York Engineers under 
Major O. T. Jieard, to saw otf the piles and remove the schooner 
whicli closed WalTs Cut, an inland passage from Port lioyal to 
the Savannah, a laborious and perilous task, reiiuiring many 
nights of assiduous elfort. While these and other detachments 
were participating in reconnoissaiices in the direction of Hlntlton 
and Savannah, Co. H. was sent from l?ay Point northward in the 
direction of C'harleston : one half under Capt. Horatio Rogers, 
Jr., of Co. 11, to Coflin's Point on St. Helena Island, and the other 
under Lieut. Charles R. Brayton, of the same company, to Brick- 
yard Point on Lady's Island ; and Co. I, under C-apt. Charles G. 
Strahan. accompanied an exi)edition to St. Helena Sound and took 
possession of, and for the next six months garrisoned Fort Dray- 
ton on Otter Island. Reconnoitering parties were constantly sent 
against the centre of the enemy's line, also on the maiidand be- 
tween Charleston and Savannah. December IStli detachments 
from Co. C, under Capt, Charles W. 11. Day, accomiianied a i)arl 
of the Third Xew Hampshire, under Lieut. -Col. Jackson, on a 
reconnoissance upon the steamer " Ma^^flower " up Coosaw River, 
on which occasion they manned the light guns in an engagement 
with a rebel battery. 

THE SIEGE OF FORT PULASKI. 

Up to January, 1862, the work of the army under Gen. Sheinian 
was only preliminary to a general forward inovenient. His desire 
and })lan Avas to strike the line of the enemy between Charleston 
and Savannah, cut the communications, take Savannah, and i)os- 
sibly Charleston in reverse, and thus open an avenue to the vitals 
of the Confederacy. This plan retpiired a much larger force than 
he had at his command, and as Gen. McCh^llan positively refused 



8 THIRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

to isend tlie re-iiiforceinents necessary, this plan had to be aban- 
doned. Gen. Sherman and Commodore Du Pont had, from the 
first, been constantly stndying the Charleston and the Savannah 
problems, and the movements above detailed were factors in the 
solntion. Cajit. Qnincy A. Gillmore, Chief Engineer, reported, 
December 1, 1861, the feasibility of reducing Fort Pulaski by 
siege guns from Tybee Island south of the Fort, but this plan was 
not definitely adopted and entered upon until late in February, 
1862. The first advance in this direction was against the city 
itself and not against the fort. Gen, Sherman proposed "to open 
Wall's Cut so that the Navy might throw gunboats into the Sa- 
vannah above the fort, to erect batteries on some of its islands, 
cut off Fort Pulaski, shell Fort Jackson, and afterwards the city, 
without the slow and expensive i)rocess of first bombarding Pu- 
laski." This plan was matured and entered upon in January. 
Companies E and G and detachments from Co. A, of twenty-five 
inen, were selected to man the guns. The joint expedition of 
army and nav}' left Port Royal January 26tli and i-endezvoused 
on Daufuskie Island. Using this island as a base, the land force 
under Gen. Egbert L. Viele, directed by Chief Engineer, Capt, 
Gillmore, was enabled after weeks of most fatiguing labor, to 
plant batteries upon mud islands on both north and south bank 
of the Savannah lliver. ]3attery Vulcan, at Venus Point on 
Jones Island, was ready February 11th, and on the 14th defeated, 
after a sharp engagement, three gun-boats which had come down 
from the city. February 20th, Capt. Bailey was sent with Co. E 
and the detachment from Co. A across the Savannah River to 
man the guns in Fort Hamilton, just completed on Bird Island. 
The efforts exerted in planting these batteries were herculean, 
and the passage between the city and the fort was corked as 
tight as a bottle. Owing to lack ol" co-operation on the part of 
the navy, Gen. Sherman was obliged to give up his plan of ad- 
vance upon Savannah, and was directed by Gen. McClellan to 
reduce Fort Pulaski by siege from Tybee Island. This order 
transferred the field of activity from the north to the south side 
of the fort, and thereby rendered the importance of the service on 
tlie north, which was intended as primary, now secondary to that 
of the force gathering on Tybee Island. The force on the upper 
Savannah devoted its efforts to strengthening the i)ositions occn- 
[)ied and to i-epclling the freciucnl allempis of the enemy to break 



THIRD KEGI.MKNT HHoDK [SLAND HK.W ^ A ilTI I.LKUV. '.» 

t Iiroiiiih Ihe line of iiivesliiiciit, ;iii<l was cnaltUMl lo |iarl icipatr in 
the buiiibHrdiiit'iit ol' the fort l)y phiciii^ a iiioilar l)altt'i\ on the 
lower end of Loii<^ Island, manned by a detaehnieiit from Com- 
panies E and A. 

Tybee Lshmd had been oeeupied early in tlie preei'diiiii' Decem- 
ber, and from February 21 to April ii, lS(i2, the batteries n[)on 
liie island wei"e eonstrueted and e<|uipj>ed as fast as the oi'dnancc 
arrived from the north. As in the ease of the ereelion of the bat- 
teries on the upper river, this labor was of the most fat ijnuinu' 
character. C"om[)any F, under C'apt. Mason, and ("ompaii.N II. 
under (apt. Jvogers, i)articipated in this work. Company I!, 
under Capt. Tourtellott. arrived April 7tli, and llu' three com- 
panies were assiyiu'd to batteries as follows : Co. J>, to IJatleiy 
T.yon, o ten-inch columbiads, Mloo yards distant from the wall of 
the I'ort, under Cai»l. Tourtellott; Battery Lincoln, o eiii;ht-in<'h 
columbiads, ;j()4r) yai'ds distant, under Lieut. Albert E. Greene ; 
Co. E, Battery Seott, 3 ten-ineh colum])ia(ls and one ei.nht-ineh 
eolund»ia<l, 1740 yards distant, under Ca[)t. ^Lison ; Co. II, llat- 
tery McClellan, 2 ei.i>lity-foui--pouiKler James rifles and i* sixty- 
four-[)ounder James rifles, lOoO yards distant, unller Capt. llo.uers. 
Thus nearly all the breaehin,u' batteries were manned by this 
Regiment; of the seven other batteries, six were e(iuipi)ed with 
mortars, and inost of them at great distance. There were, in all, 
1<; nu)rtars and 20 guns in the batteries on this island, and 14 of 
the latter were served by the above companies. On the evening 
of April *Jth all was in readiness. Capt. Gillmore, Cliief Engineer, 
Gen. IL W. Uenham, commancU^r of the district, and (4en. David 
lluntei', wlio had relieved Clen. Sherman in comnuuul of the de- 
partment on .Ahireh olst, were all present. April loth, at S:l."» 
A. M., the bond)ardment opened fi-om the mortar baltei'ies, and by 
f):oO all the heavy rifle-guns were in full play. The mortar bat- 
teries proved a grievous failure, as less than one-teidh of the I ol^ 
shells thrown by them fell inside the fort, and it becanu' evid«'nt 
before night that the breaching batteriej^ alone must be dei)ended 
upon to reduce the fort. All these were manned by the men of 
the Third Rhode Island, with the exception of Batteiy Sigel, 
equipped with light pieces, 5 thirty-i»oiinder I'arrotts and 1 forty- 
eight pounder James rifle, which were not served with clliciency 
dui-ing the first day. The bombardment was kept up until even- 
ing, and the wall of the fort was fast becoming honey-cond)ed. 

2 



10 THIRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

One mortar and one 30-ponn(ler Parrott continiiecl tlie fire all 
night, to prevent repairs, and at sunrise on the 11th all the bat- 
teries opened again with decided effect, until the breach in the 
wall exposed the magazine and rendered longer resistance dan- 
gerous. The firing from both the rifle guns and colunil)iads was 
excellent, "the former boring like augurs into the brick face 
of the wall, the latter striking like trip-hammers and breaking 
off great masses of masonry that had been cut loose by the rifles." 
At 2 P. M. the fort surrendered, o85 men, including a full comple- 
ment of officers, several severely, and one mortally wounded. On 
the l^nion side one nuin only was killed, Thonuis Campl)ell of 
Co. II. Sergt. George W. Greene, of Co. B, was Avouiuled in the 
face. None of our guns were hit. The most effective batteries 
were those served by the Rhode Island men, and in particular 
the battery of James rifles manned by Co. H, which threw o70 
shot and 225 shell. The battery manned by Co. F threw 4-tl shot, 
and the one manned by Co. B threw 740 shell. The heavy James 
rifles of Battery McClellan, under Capt. Rogers, ably seconded 
by Lieutenants Charles R. Braytoii and William C. Barney, were 
the most effective instruments in reducing the fort, as acknowl- 
edged by Gen. Gillmore in liis report. The service of these guns, 
bearing the name of a distinguished Rhode Islander, wrought in 
this siege a revolution in the use of siege guns, l^ays Gen. Gill- 
more : " Had we possessed our present knowledge of their power 
previous to the bombardment of Fort Pulaski, the eight weeks 
of laborious preparation for its reduction could have been cur- 
tailed to one week, as heavj^ mortars and columbiads would have 
))een omitted from the armament of the batteries as unsuitable 
for breaching at long ranges." 

Companj' B was stationed for a month in the captured fort to 
instruct the Seventh Connecticut in the use of heavy guns. Four 
men of this comi)any, Sergt. George J. Hill, John A. Gorton, 
Michael I. Gibbens and Joseph T. Luther, were killed April 14th 
by the explosion of a shell which they were empt3'ing, and Chai'les 
Morgan mortally wounded. April Kith a detachment of sixttHMi 
men from Co. l'\ under Lieut. Augustus AV. Colwell, accomjianietl 
a r(M'oiin()il('i-ing expedition of 4(»() men under Lieut. J. II. Wilson, 
to Wilmington Island. In a sharp cngagenu^nt Avith SOU of the 
enemy, the Fnioii force lost JO killed and ;!.") \vound<'d, of whom 
some were of Co. F, whicli mauuiMl a six-pounder gun on the 



THiKI) KE(;l.MKXT RHODE ISI.AXJ) HEAVY AIMILLEKV. II 

stoaiiicr " Iloiidiiias/'' All llic (•(inipaiiics (tii the Saxaiiiiali, ex- 
cept Co. r.. Id iiiiH'd soon alter to Hilton Head, and in .Ma.\('o. 
15 \v;is i-eplaeed in the i'oil l»y Co. (i, which remained lliere nntil 
May. 1S(;4. Company 1) was still at IJay Point, Co. I on Otter 
Island and detachments fioin Co.'s C and L on Edisto Island. 
The I'emainder of the l\e<iiment was foi- a short time toiiclher, 
and en.ua.ucd in hattalion drills on thesainlsof Hilton Head. 

ADVANCE A(;AINST CHARI.ESTOX. 

Immediately after establishing the nulitary l)ase at Port Koyal, 
ill Novend)er, ISGl, Gen. Sherman and Com. l)n Pont began a 
dilijLrent stndy of the Charleston problem and had made incessant 
reeonnois.sanees in that direction, and after Fort Pnlaski fell, they 
turned their nnited attention to that city. Dui-ing the next six 
months several exjjeditions were made against the left and centre 
of tlie enemj^'s line, usually by the combined force of army and 
navy. Xone of tliese were eminently successful, nor proved of 
lasting i-esnlt. They may be denominated strategic reconnois- 
sances. In most of these, larger. or smaller parts of the Thii-d 
Regiment participated. These may be ennmei-ated in chronolog- 
ical .sequence, thus : reconnoissance by way of James Island, in 
June, 18(iL', in which a battalion under Major Metcalf i^articipatcd; 
a minor i-econnoisance at the "White Mouse" in Jniu', in which 
a small detachment under Majoi' Ijlanding participated ; recon- 
noissanees by way of iNIa.y River, in August — October, in which 
Co, (i participate<l ; advance against Pocotaligo in October, in 
which a lai'ge part of tlie Regiment, uiuler Col. Brown, partic- 
il)ated; reconnoissance on Daufauskie Island in November, in 
which Co. C participated ; skirmish at Chimney Point in January, 
18(i;>, in which Co. A participated. Several of these are of such 
importance as to require the addition of a few details. 

The advance against Charleston via Stono Inlet and James 
Island began earlj' in ]May, 1802. Gen. Hunter intended to make 
a roup de main on the city, but was delayed by lack of transpor- 
tation, and the advance was checked by large re-infoi-cenuMits on 
James Island. Companies B, E, F. II and K had })een di-illing as 
infantry on Edisto Island siiu'C Ma.y -od, and Co. I and sections 
of C and L were serving in the vicinity as artillery. Eai'ly in 
Jnne all the I'orces were brought togelher on James Island, alxml 



1-2 THIRD RECilMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

10, ()()() ill all, uiidei" Gens. Isaac I. Stevens and Horatio G. Wright, 
and over these Gen. Henry W. Benhani. whom Gen. Hunter had 
left in f'oniniand. There were dail.y skirniislies for several <lays, 
and on June '.ith William Bropliy of Co. I was mortally wounded. 
June 10th, Co. C participated in the engagement precipitated by 
the attack of the enemy upon the I^nion camp. June KUh oc- 
curred the battle of Secessionville, on James Island, when Gen. 
Benhani attempted to earrj' the extended earth-works near that 
village. The attack commenced about 4 o'clock in the morning, 
and Gen. Stevens led th.e assaulting column with about o,500 men 
and four guns, supported by the division of Gen. Wright and tlu; 
brigade of Col. Robert Williams, about 3,100 men and six guns. 
The lattei brigade was ordered bj^ Gen. Benham to join the as- 
saulting column, under Gen. Stevens, almost immediately after 
the attack began. Major Metcalf, with his battalion consisting of 
Co.'s B, E, F, H and K, led the brigade into action, pushing for- 
ward B, F and K as skirmishers under Major Sisson. The battle 
that raged from 4 to 5 o'clock was severe and destructive, and the 
fii'ing was protracted until 9 o'clock A. M., when the troops were 
withdi-awn. The losses on the Union side were great : killed 107, 
wounded 487, missing 80, total 083. The Rhode Island battalion 
lost : killed 7, wounded 30, missing 8, total 45 ; of those wounded, 
Ijieut. Erasmus S. Bartholomew died the next day. In addition, 
Sergt. Martin Ileeney of Co. I was killed by the accidental explo- 
sion of a shell in the battery manned by that comj)an3\ Tlie 
brigade comnumder si)eciany commeiuled jNFajor Metcalf, and the 
men under him, for their "courage and soldierly' conduct," and 
Major Metcalf in his report spoke in high praise of the uhmi and 
officers under him. 

The troops were soon withdrawn to Hilton Head, where the 
"'Third" ari'iv<Ml on the Fourth of July, and on the same day 
aj'i'ived a cargo of ice for the Regiment from Providence. Several 
of those wounded on James Island ditMl hei'e during the summer. 
The next three months were devoted to garrison duty, battalion 
drill and i'ecui)ei'ation. Tlie only comi)aiiies absent were, (t at 
Fort Pulaski, I) at l>ay Point, B at Seabrook, and a detacliment 
fiom A on the armed transport "George Wasliington." Detach- 
ments from Co. G, under Capt. Gould, accompanied reconnoiter- 
ing parties up ]\Iay River into the vicinity of Blntlton during 
August, September and October, serving the guns upon light 
steaniei-s and ])artieipating in manj' sharp engagements. 



THIKI> i;K(ilMKNr i;il(i|»K ISLAND HK.WN A I; I I LI, HI; V. ] o 



ADVANCE ACiAINST 1*( K'( »TA Ll( JO. 

Seplcnihcr I7tli (icM. ()iinsl)y M. .Mitclicl assiiiiHMl coimnaiMl (»!' 
the Department, and at once commenced expeditions of recon- 
noissance against the line of tlu' enemy, tlie principal one of 
which was a^uainst the Charleston and Savannali liailroad, iM'arly 
midway between the two cities, at Pocotali,i»<). This expedition 
left Port Roj'al October l'1, 18^2, under command of (toi. J. M. 
r.rannan, about 4,500 men and several j;:unl)oats. 'riic landing 
was made on the l*"_M at ]\[ackay's Point, at the junction of tlic 
l*ocotalii«:o and Tulifiny Rivers, and the advance toward the \il- 
lajxe of Pocotaliifo at once commenced. The enemy was found ai 
("aston's I'lantation, about six miles from the landing, and (bivcn 
from his position, and later from his position at the Frami)ton 
plantation, and finally across the hij>:hway bridge near Pocotali<>;o, 
which h<' burned. Further advance was imj)ractical)l<', aiul as 
larii'e re-inforcements were ai-riviny,- from Savannah and Charles- 
ton, the Union force gradually withdrew^ to Mackay's T'oiiil a1 
evening and re-embarked, and returned the next day to Port 
Royal. The casualties were : killed 4:>, wounded 2!t4, missing :>, 
total ;)40. There were present under Col. lirowii, a hattalion ctnii- 
posed of companies E, K and L, upwards of oOO men. Coiiipany 
M. oO men uiuler Capt. Comstock, served the boat howit/.ei's, 
lajided from the gun])oats. Company G, 50 men under Capt. 
(4onld, accompanied Col. liaiton and the 48th New Voik up the 
Coosawhatchie River, manning the gunson thesteamer "'Planter.'" 
Company A, ofl men, manned the guns on the "George Washing- 
ton,''' and frotn the upper Pocotaligo River covered the right flank. 
Lieut. J. IJ. P.landing of Co. G was severely wounded in arm and 
side. Corp. J. X. IJogman of Co. G, and Private Joshua W. 
Thompson of Co. ^I, were wounded, the former mortally. 

'I'he Regiment had ended its first year of service, had endured 
severe trials, and suffered many losses. The changes among the 
field and line officers were numerous : Major Metcalf resigned 
August 5, lS(i2 ; Major Sisson, August (ith ; Major IJlanding, Sei)- 
tember .'3d ; (Quartermaster Maitiu, August oOth ; Chaplain (Tiibby, 
September 25th ; Capt. Touilellott, September 2d, and others had 
l)een calle(l to positions in otlier reginu'Uts. Iniine(liately after 
the ret urn of the expedition against Pocf)taligo, Hilton Head was 
\isited by the yellow level- ami the Regiment experienced one of 



1^ I'lIlRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

its saddest and most trying cainpaiiiiis. The losses on tlie island 
were very great and the Regiment did in)t eseape its fnll share. 
Lieut. Waltei' 1>. Manton, (Quartermaster of the Regiment, sne- 
eumbed to the di-ead disease. October I'oth. Col. Brown was seized 
on the same day and died on the .'K)th. Gen. Mitchell was attacked 
on the day of Col. Brown's death, and died in a few hours. Such 
was the virnlenee of the scourge, ])ut the men faced it with the 
same courage and composure which thej^ had so often displayed 
in the presence of the enemy on the field of battle. Col. Edwin 
Metcalf assumed command of the Regiment, November 24, ISCi. 
In December Lieut.-Col. Bucklin resigned, and in January, ISG;), 
Major Rogers, who had l)een i3romoted from Captain in August, 
resigned to accept the colonelcy of the Eleventh Regiment. First 
Lieut. John Frieze of Co. M, promoted to Major iu Septem1)er, 
was made Lieut.-Colonel in January, ISO;}, and in the same month, 
Capt. Day of Co. C, and Capt. Bailey of C'o. E, were promoted to 
be Majors, and in February, Capt. William Ames of the Second 
Regiment was mustered as Major. The winter was spent in in- 
fantry and artillerj^ drill and in gan-ison duties. A detachment 
from Co. A, under Lieut. George L. Smith, manned the guns on 
the armed ti'ansport " George Washington," doing picket duty in 
the watei's along the coast. While engaged with a battei-y on the 
mainland, north of Pinckney Island, in Decend_)er, one of the guns 
l)ui'sl and seriously wounded Lieut. Smith in the side, and Lieut. 
Jabez B. Blanding of Co. G, was assigned to the command of the 
l)oat, which i)articipated in two of the naval demonstrations against 
Fort McAllister, in the Ogeechee River, south of Savannah, on 
February 1 and March 3, 180.3. This boat was lost April 0, LS03, 
under the following circumstances : Gen. Rufus Saxton ordered 
Capt. Briggs of Co. A, then in camp at Beaufort, to take command 
of the steamer and j)roceed with the gunboat "Hale" around Port 
Royal Island to " Whale Branch, where the latter boat was or- 
dered to take her station." Caj)t. Briggs had in his command, 
Lieutenants Blanding and Smith of Co. G, and thirty-four men of 
Co. A. April cStli they left Beaufort, and about sunset the "Hale" 
ran agi-ound at the bi'ickyard, south of the Ferry, and both of the 
boats anchored. At 4.30 a. m. of the 'Jth, the "Hale" got under 
way and w as out of sight beyond Port Royal Ferry before her 
absence was discovered on the "Washington," which prepared to 
follow, and as she roun(h'd llrickyard Point, was attacked by 



TuiiM> i;ki.imi;.\ I imiokm i>i..\Nh lll•;\\^ \i; i ii.i.i-.i;\ . l-> 

I'ebel l)jitteries, wliicli liad Ik'cm hnm^lil up <liii-iii,ii: the iii.^hl, 
eijifht .i^uiis ill all, siipportt'd l»y six coiniciiiics nl' iiilaiil ry and fivr 
of fiivaln', uiuk'r conuiiaiMl of tJcii. \V. S. W'alUcr. '•'riic sccuiid 
shot explo(U'(l tilt' ma.i;a/.iiu', imsliii)p«'(l tlu' i-uiMcr, hrok** tlir 
steei'iiij; gear, ripped up the <leck and tiiinl»le(l the h(»\vit/.er into 
the hold and destroyed all the ammunition t'oi- the .lames ride 
forward. Tiie vessel took lire and hej^an to till rapi<ily."' The 
master backed her towai-d the marsh on the Poit Itoyal Island 
shore and most of the men were thus enalile(l to escape, tlnuijih 
with much difficulty an<l nUov a loiiu st i-u.u-,i,de in the muddy marsh. 
Three men were killed, .John Hyde and Lyman K. Smith, i)lown 
overboard by the explosion, and .lohn l-'allon, whose liody \\as 
burned with the steamer. William .1. Greenhal.uh, wounded, died 
in the yawl-boat and was buried by the enemy on the bank of the 
rivei'. George Smith and Kdward X'allejey, wounded, dieil April 
12 and loth. Corp. Ali)ert A. Smith had both leus liroken, and 
later they were amputated. Auuustus lUanchard had one lejr 
broken. C'orp. Lewis Warner, George li. Kldridge anil (icorge W. 
Stod<lard were wounded. The affair was a sad and unrorlunate 
one, and not free from elements of blame. 

Co. C, under Capt. IJrayton, on .several occasions accompanied 
expeditions into the enemy's country for the capture of property 
and the rescue of slaves. This IJattery served its light guns from 
the transport "John Adams," and i-en(h'red signal .service, notably 
in the expedition up the Combahee Kiver, in June, and again 
against Darieu, Ga. 

THE sie(;e of su.mtek. 

Gen. David Iluntei- resumed command of the Department, .bni- 
uary 20, lS(i;j, and commenced plans tor a second advaiwe against 
Charleston. All the available troops were collected in the xicinity 
of Kdisto, C\)le and Folly Islands. C\)l. IMetcalf left Hilton Head 
]\Iarch Jd, with Comi)anies !>, I), F, I, K, L and M in the expedi- 
tion, which was to cooperate with the na\y in the attack upon 
the defences of Charleston Harbor. Col. .Metcalf was Chief of 
Artillery. In the attack made by the monitors and gunboats upon 
the forts in the harbor, April 7tli, A<lmiral l)u Font was unable to 
pass the foi'ts. The monitors proved a miseiaitlc failure. The 
whole expedition was abandoned and the liegiment rciurncd lo 



10 THIRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

Hilton Head. In June, Gen. Gillniore relieved Gen. Hunter, and 
Adnural John A. Dahlgren relieved Admiral Du Pont in July. 
Active preparations were commenced at once against Charleston 
Harbor. The chief aim now was the reduction of Fort Sumter, 
and an assault upon the city, by the land force, formed no part of 
Gen. Gilmoi-e's plan. The batteries on the south end of Morris 
Island were to be taken by cokjj de main, under cover of bat- 
teries on Folly Island ; Fort Wagner to bo captured in the same 
numner, and Sumter to be reduced by siege batteries from the 
north end of the island. These operations occupied the summer 
and fall of 1803, and the Third Regiment played an impoi'tant 
part in nuuiniug the heavy guns. Gompauies D and I had been 
sent to the front early in April, and companies B, C and M, early 
in July, and manned six of the ten batteries on Folly Island. Gol. 
Metcalf was Post Commander at Hilton Head, and Major Bailey, 
with Ca[)taiiis Greene, Brayton, Shaw, Strahan and Comstock were 
at the front. Under coyer of the batteries on Folly Island, and a 
denu)nstration made against James Island by Gen. Terry witii 
about OjSOO men. Gen. George C. Strong landed with 2,000 men 
upon Moi'ris Island shortly after daybreak July 10th, and carried 
all the works on the south end of the island by a gallant assault, 
and by !) o'clock three-fourths of the island was occupied. The 
batteries on Folly Island were served rapidly for two hours pi'evi- 
ous to the assault. The Union loss was 15 killed and 'Jl vvoundetl. 
Two men of Co. D were wounded ; Thomas 15. Tanner, who lost 
both arms and also his sight, and Samuel C. Shippee, who lost both 
arms and died of his wounds soon after his discharge for disability. 
At daybreak the next morning Gen. Strong attempted to cari-y 
Fort Wagner by assault, but was repulsed with a loss of 8 ofticers 
aiul '4-2-2 men. The guns and material were now transferred from 
Folly Island to Morris Island, and new batteries erected there 
undei' constant tire from the batteries of the enemy. July 17th 
these new batteries were ready and manned chiefly by the Tliii-d 
Reginu^nt, and on the LStli at sunset, under cover of these batteries 
and the gunboats, a desperate assaull was made upon Foi't ^Vag•- 
iier, of tlnee brigades under Gen. Ti-unian Seymour, the tii'st 
brigade led by (Jen. Strong. The fort was gaiiunl under a murder- 
ous lire and held some three hours, but finally relin<(uished after 
great loss : killed, 28 officers and 2ls mcii ; wouiMled, 7.") olhcers 
and 805 men : nussing, 8 othcers and -iSl men ; total, 1,515. Gen. 



THIKI) J{K(il.MKNT IIIloDK ISLAND IIKWN' A Ull l,l,l•:l;^ . 17 

Stroiiii: Mild si'ViTiil coUmicIs wci-f killed or iiiorlally woiiiidcil. 
Richard 1'. Joliiisoii of Co. C, and I)aiii<d N. ilaiNcy of ("o. .M, 
were wounded. It was deel(h'<l, on llie same day, l(» erect sieue 
batteries ajiaiii.sL Wai^iior and Smiitei'. Tlie position already oe«ii- 
pied was eonverted into a strong d«'fensi\(' line and took the name 
of the "first parallel." The "second parallel" was established l»y 
a rtyiiii; sap, <!()0 yards in advance, on the ni^rlit of July iJ.id, and 
by the L'<;tli eciuipped with brcachinj; batteries. In a similar man- 
ner the "third parallel," I3.'5<> yards in advance of the second was 
established Auji;u.st Hth, and flankin<>: batteries were planted on the 
marsh to the left and on the beach to the right. Nearly all the.se 
breaching- ^iiiiis were .served by the Third Kej;iment, now c(Misist- 
ing of Companies 1>, D, II, I and M. Capt. C'olwell hatl arrived 
with Co. H, July 19th, and Co. C was still pre.sent serving as light 
artillery. The breaching batteries were ready August Hith, ami 
at break of day on the 17tli they opened lire on Wagner, (iregg 
and Sumter, and maintained it until the e\eniiig of tin' J.'Jd, at 
which time .Sumter was reduced to a condition "alike iiu'ai>al)le of 
annoying our apjiroaches to Wagner or of inflicting injury upon 
oui- ii'on-clads." 

.Ml attention was now turned to Wagner and Gregg. A fourth 
and fifth "parallel" wen? formed, the latter only 240 yards from 
the nioat around Wagner. Active preparations were making for 
a third assault upon Wagner, on the morning of September 7tli. 
and the storm of shot and shell upon the fort during the 5tli ami 
• ith was terrific. J)uring the night of the G-7tli the enemy (luietly 
slipped away from the i.sland. "The capture of Morris Island 
and the demolition of Sumter comi)leted those portions of the plan 
of joint operation against the defenses of Charleston in which flie 
land forces were to take the lead." " Fort Wagner and 15attciy 
Gregg were at once strengthened and additional defensive works 
on the island constructed," and the coiiii)aiiies of the Third Regi- 
ment placed in charge of the guns. To prevent the remounting 
of guns on Sumter, the heavy rifie guns on Wagner and (iregg 
were opened on that fort October 2<!th, and the lire coiitiniied 
several days until the work was a complete ruin, "With this 
second bombardment of Sumter ende<l all aggressive operations 
for the season against the defenses of Charleston." Among the 
losses of the Regiment was that of Lieut. Henry Ilolbrook, of Co. 
>I, wlio was moitalh' wounded August I'.itli, while in <'(Human<l of 



18 THIRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

Battery Meade. During the winter of lS(;3-4: a large part of the 
Regiment remained on Morris Island and was almost constantly, 
day and night, under fire. In November, Co.'s A and E joined 
the six already there. Lieut.-Col. Charles R. Brayton, who had 
been promoted from Captain in November, assumed command of 
these eight companies at the front, though Col. Metealf was on 
Morris Island a part of the winter, as was also Major Ames. 
Lieut.-Col. Frieze and Major D^y had resigned in October, 18G3. 
Major George Metealf, who had been promoted from C'aptain in 
November, was serving at Hilton Head as Post Inspector. In 
February, 1804, Col. Metealf resigned, and Lieut.-Col. Brayton 
was promoted to be Colonel, in April, and Major Ames to be 
Lieut.-Colonel. 

FLORIDA CAMPAIGNS. 

Several expeditions had been sent to Florida since the occu- 
pation of Port Royal in 18G1, but no permanent conquest had 
been made upon the eastern coast. Early in 18G4, Gen. Gillmore 
planned once more to recover the State, and Companies C and A 
participated in the movement. A section of Light Battery C, 
under Lieut. Henry H. Metealf, left Hilton Head February 0, 1804, 
in the expedition under Gen. Truman Seym(nir, which landed at 
Jacksonville tlie next day and pushed inland toward Baldwin with 
about 5,5()() troops, and after several days of severe marching and 
minor engagements, fought a general battle on the SOth, at Olustee^ 
while endeavoring to reach " the Suwanee River, to destroy, if 
possible, tlie railroad bridge at that stream." The battle lasted 
from o p. M. until night, and was very severe and the losses heavy. 
Gen. Joseph Finegan commanded the opposing forces, and the 
Union foi'ce was driven from the field sadly defeated, losing 11 
officers and 192 men killed; 42 officers and 1,110 men wounded ; 
2 officers and 504 men missing ; total, 1,801. The section of Bat- 
tery V lost 1 killed and 5 wounded. The enemy's total loss was 
940. After participating in the movement up the St. John's River 
to Pilatka, in March, the section returned to Hilton Head the latter 
part oi that month, and Light Battery A, with six pieces, under 
Capt. William H. Hamner, was sent to Florida, where it remained 
several months and participated in many ol" tlie forward move- 
mcnls and sulTcrcd <|uite severely. 



IIIIKI) UKCI.MKNT l;llM|)K I.s|.\m. |||;\\N a i;ti li.ki: V. 1!' 

Two sections took pait in ilu- driiKdist ration against ('amp 
Finoji:an, Minlcr Col. .Fames Shaw, .li.. witli 4<>(t men, on .Ma.\ l'.*>, 
1SC4 ; and tliewimle Italteiyol' six |»ieces and l.'io men pailici- 
pate<l in the alVaii- al .laeksonvilie on the -jsih, and in the dest mic- 
tion of Cam]) Milton hy (ivu. (ieorjre II. (iordon with L',."><Mt m«'n, 
•Tunc 1st, and in the en<;ajj;cMnent of Cedar ("reek, ,1 une I'd ; and 
took i)art also in tiie expedition against IJaldwin. .Inly I'o-i'S, 
under (nMi. William Hii'iiey, loi- the desli'n<-t i()n of tiie railroads at 
that place. Two sections of the Uattei-y accompanied tin* expedi- 
tion auainst lialdwin in Auj;ust, under Col. William II. Nohle, 
and [)articipated in the skii-mishes of the lotli and IJth, and three 
of tliese pieces eonlinued with iiim in the moNcmenl to Ma};;nolia, 
August 1*)-10. The other piece and IJ men, under Ser<i;t. Alon/o 
M. Fuller, were sent with a raidiui; party of some ;5(K» cavalry and 
mounted infantry, under Col. A. T.. Ilai-ris, of the 7'>tli Ohio. 

They left JJaldwin on the mornin.u- of the IMh and while restinjj: 
and feedini;' after an all-niuht's march, early in the morning of tlie 
17th. at (Tainesville, they were surprised, and after a stubborn 
tiglit of two hours were completely routed l)y a cavalry force unih'r 
jNIajoi- J. J. Dickison. A re\ised report of casualties is not on lecord. 
Nearly the whole command was killed oi- captured. Of the de- 
tachment of Dattery A, Mitchell Prew was killed and all the rest 
were captured and sent to the prison-pen at Andeisonville, except 
.1. II. Wheaton, who was never heard from. IJatlery A was sent 
to I'x'anfort, S. C.. Septembei- 2f, ISCt. 

KE-ORGANIZATK )X. 

In .January, all who had already serve<l two years were given 
an op[)ortunity to re-eidist as ''veterans" for an additional period 
of thre<» years, and .')0() men availed themselves of this opporl unity, 
and during the sjning went home on a fui'lough of thirty days. 
The return and mustei' out of those who did not re-eidisi was in 
detacliments, as the companies were wid(dy scatlered. and at 
difTerent times, as the exi)iration of the first term of service dif- 
fered in the dilTerent companies. August l'4, Captains Charles (i. 
Strahan and l*eler .1. Turnci- airived in I'roN ideiice w it h the lirst 
detachment, "i olVicers and 117 men, of (d.'s .\, K and I. wlio were 
mu.stered out August ol, isc.l 

8eptend)er ."•(tlh. Col. riiaylon .iml nio>t of llic (ield and line 



:20 THIRD l^EGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

oflicci's Mrrived with another dctachnuMit, 2o(; officers and men, 
who wei'c nmstered out October 4, ISill. IJolli tliese detachments 
were liaiHlsomely welcomed and enterlaiiied l)y tlie State officijils. 
by the mililia and by the citizens. The "veterans" were consoli- 
dated into (i\e companies nnder command of TJeut.-Col. William 
Ames, and in October were stationed as follows: Light Battery A. 
nnder Capt. William IT. Ilamner, at Ueanfoit ; Oo. B, nnder Capt. 
Augustus W. Cohvell, on Morris Island ; Ligiit Battery C, under 
Capt. Martin S. James, in Virginia ; Co. L, under Capt. Jeremiah 
Lanahaii, and Co. M, under Capt. John M. Barker, on Morris 
Island. In March, 18G5, companies L and M were mustered oul, 
and the "veterans" in these two companies were consolidated into 
a eompanj^ called New Co. D. under Capt. John M. ]>arker. 
Lieut.-Col. Ames was appointed Cliief of Artillery' of the Depai-t- 
ment of the South, September 27, 18G4. 

SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HARBOR. 

Aftei' the I'cduction of Sumter in October, 18(io, even uiilil the 
surrender of Charleston in February, 1SG5, several companies 
remained on Morris Island and manned the guns in AVagner, 
C'hatfleld, Gregg and the smaller batteries, which were equipped 
with ;]00, 200, 100 and 30-pounder Parrots and mortars, and were 
almost incessantly under fire in artillery contests with the forts in 
the harbor, Moultrie, Beauregard, Johnson and others, as also in 
shelling the eity, firing sometimes 10,000 shot and shell a month. 
iMen were lost, at times, almost daily. Even a synopsis of the 
varied and important services performed here bj" the Regiment, 
for a year and a half, would render this brief account of the 
history of the Regiment too extended. Such services reciuire a 
separat(H)ook. During the spring and summer of 18(!4, the com- 
panies on Mori'is Island were E, F, H, I and M, under Lient.-Col. 
Ames. Companies D, G, K and L were at Fort Pulaski, under 
Major Bailey. Battery A was in Floi-ida and C in Virgiiua, and 
Co. B at Ilillon Head, the headiivuirters of Col. Brayton, who was 
Chief of Artillery on the staff of Gen. Gillmore. 

In J\Iay, 1864, Gen. John G. Foster assumed command of lh<' 
T)ei)artnu^nt and commenced immediate attacks all along the line 
of Hie I'ailroatl. between Charleston and Savannah, in several of 
whicli, pai-lsof tlie Regiment participated. These demonstrations 



THIRD REOIMENT UHoDK ISLAND HKAVV AiniM-KKV. I?! 

wore made hyorclcr of ( Jen. (Jianl, aiul llic main piiiposc was In 
pi'cvont llu' (Miciiiy fi-om sciidiiii; iorc<'s to \'ir.i;inia, which olijcct 
was fully allaiiM'd. .Inly Isl and iM, (icn. I-'osIci- made a dcniun- 
stration, with ."»,(MI(» mi'ii and arlilicry, a.y:ainst C'hai-U'ston and Ihr 
railroad hy way of .lohn's Island, snppoitcd hy a foi-cc of l', ()(»() 
nicMi from Morris Island, ninlcr (icn. SchiinnM-HiMinii; iijf^iinst .lames 
Island, with whom were dclaclnncnts liom the Thinl Reuinicnl . 
accompanied hy Lieut. -Col. Ames. On the niiiht of th(» Jd and '.U\ 
an assault was mad(^ at midnii^ht, from Moiris Island auainsi I''ort 
.Tohnson on .Tamos Island, in l)oats, hy a f(trce of I,(Hmi men, under 
Col. Guruey, of the lL*7th New Vork. Meut.-Col. Ames returned 
from .lolin's Island in time to accomjiany the assault inii' party, 
and (»() men of the Thii-d Uej^imont, under C'jipt. C'hui'chill, fcunu'd 
a ]iart of tlio forc<\ The assault was a failure and the loss hea\y, 
upwards of l.")ii. PetcM' Connolly, of Co. l'\ was killed. Such 
excursions as the.se but vari<'d the const ant, heavjer woi-k of the 
Reijiment. On .Inly sth a heavy bomhardmont was re-commenced 
against Sunder and continued until the fort was leduced iu a 
condition beyond I'cpair. 

THE LKiHT BATTERIES IX THF^ 1-^IRLD. 

When (ien. (Tilhnoi-e Avas oi-dei-ed to Virizinia in the spriuir <>• 
1804, with all the men that could be s[)ared from the Departnu'ut 
of the South, lAixhi l>attery C, un<bM' Ca[)t. .lames, weid with him. 
The liattery left Hilton Head, April 'MK 1S<'»4. and .joinc<l the army 
of the James, under Gen. l^utler, and par1ici])ated in all the mov<>- 
ments of that Ai-my until tlie fall of Kichmond, and took ])ail in 
the onuagcments at Drury's IJlulf, Appomattox Kiver, Laurel Hill. 
Fort Burnham, and in the siege of Petersburg. 

liight Uattery A, after its return from Florida in Seplend)er. 
ll-»(J4, was stationtMl for a shoi't time at IJeaufoi-t, and was then 
sent to join the forces, co-operating with Gen. William T. Sherman, 
and was thus engaged until the surrender of Lee and .lohnston. 
In November (4en. I-'oster sent an <'Xi)edition, under (4en. .John 1*. 
Hatch, to break, if possibl(\ the railroad connection between 
Charleston and Savannah, and thus o[)en a way for (tcu. Sherman 
to reach the sea. The exjx'dition consisted of u[»\\ards of .■),{ki(i 
infantry, aitillery and cavalry. Lieut. -C(»l. Ames commande<l the 
ai-tillerv brigade, to which was attached llallery A. under (apt. 



22 THIRD REGIMENT RHODE ISLAND HEAVY ARTILLERY. 

Haniner. The expedition left Hilton Head November 28tli. and 
landed late the next day at Bo\'d's Neck, on tlie west bank of Broad 
River, with the intention of cntting the railroad near Grahani- 
ville. The enemy was met and driven back that afternoon, and 
on November oOth was fought the battle of Honey Hill, jnst south 
of Grahamville. The enemy was strongly intrenched on rising 
ground, protected in front by swamps and thick woods. The 
battle was stubbornly fought from morning till night, when orders 
were given for retreat to a defensive line near Boyd's Neck. The 
artillery brigade, under Lieut.-Col. Ames, was severely crippled, 
and as night approached all the batteries were choked in a narrow 
road under a galling fire. With persistent etfort and imperturb- 
able coolness, Lieut.-Col. Ames succeeded in extricating all his 
guns. No fighting could be severer than that which raged during 
the closing hours of this day. Our loss was extraordinarily large 
considering the number engaged : killed, 89 ; wounded, 629 ; mis.s- 
ing, 28 ; total, 74(5. The next day Battery A was sent forward 
again to assist in driving back the approaching enemj', and a sharp 
encounter took place. Earth works were thrown up back of 
Boyd's Neck and held while the expedition re-organized. Decem- 
ber Gtli Gen. Hatch landed a i^art of his force at Deveaux's Neck, 
farther up and on the other side of Broad River, and here met a 
large force and drove it back upon Coosawhatchie. Between the 
(ith and 0th the fighting was at times severe, speciallj' on the 9th, 
when the skirmish line forced its way to within a short distance 
of the railroad and the forts which guarded it, and held the posi- 
tion until the woods were cut away for the batteries. Earth works 
were thrown up, the artillery planted, and a line thus secnred 
which commanded the railroad. This line was held until Gen. 
Sherman reached Savannah, and Gen. Hardee was unable to use 
the Savannah and (Charleston railroad when he evacuated the 
former city. AVheu Gen. Sherman commenced his march north- 
ward, in February, 18r)5, the division of Gen. Hatch, to which 
Batlery A belonged, joined his j-ight wing at Pocotaligo and par- 
ticipated in the march and engagements through South Carolina. 
as far north as the Santee River. Later, the Battery returned to 
Chai-leston, whei'c foi- a long time it was stationed, and then was 
sent back to Beaufort. In May, one section, under Lieut. Eben 
W. Waterhouse, was sent to Savannah, and there ordered to join 
Gen. Wasldtiirn's bi-igade of the T!»th Corps, in its mai-ch to 



I'lllKI) KK(;i.MKNT KIloDK ISLAND UKAVV A iri'I LI,i:i;N . l'o 

AujiUslH to intercept .lelTerson Davis, ami in .luiic lliis scctinii 
retiinu'd to Savannah and llieiv passed the snninier. 

MUSTER OUT. 

At the close of the war tlie Keuinient arrived lionie in tlie 
CoUoNvinii: order: June 12, ISOo, Liuht Battery C\ 4 ollicers and H:.' 
men, under Capt. James, arrived in Pi-ovidiuice, ha\ ini; already 
been mustered out in Kiehmond, Va. ; August 1st, Liglit Battery 
A, 5 ollicers and 80 men, under Capt. llamner, arrived and were 
mustered out August ith ; August 27th, Co.'s B and D, and otliers 
not previously discharged, uumbering fl officers and 170 men, 
under Lieut. -Col. Ames, were mustered out at Charleston, S. C, 
and on their arrival at Providence these companies were warndy 
received and entertained by the State officials. 

Thus closed the services of the largest militar.y oi-ganization 
ever sent into tlie field by the State of Rhode Island, and one 
whose term of service extended from August 14, 18<il, to August 
27, 1805. 

The following table of number and casualties is nuule up from 
the roll that follows : 

Total. Agjjrcgato. 

Number of scpaiak' names on roll 172;} 

Number of re-enlistetl of " Veterans " 800 

Aggreirate number of men enrolled '^(I2;i 

Number killed :{'.) 

Number died of wounds 17 

Number diitd of disease and other causes 77 

Aggregate n\uuber killed and deceased 1:38 

Number wounded 80 

Number discharged for disabilit j' 269 

In accordance with the instructions of the \Var Department, and 
by aulliority of Gen. Grant, Major Gen. Gillmore issued an order 
that the names of the following sieges and l)attles should be in- 
scribed upon the colors of tjie Regiment : 

Fort Pulaski, Drury's Bluff, 

Secessionville, Laurel Hill, 

Pocotaligo, Honey Hill, 

Morris Island, Deveaux Neck, 

Fort Sumter, Fort Burnham, 

Fort Wagner, Petersburg. 
Olustee, 



